By Jad Menebhi
Two community football teams in Chester are facing each other in Flint this weekend. They are playing each other in an effort to raise money for a charity that helps support people and their families who are affected with a rare genetic disorder.
Chester Fans Football Club will face Chester Man V Fat Football Club at the Essity stadium, Flint Town United’s current stadium, on May 24th. The game is scheduled to kick off at 2pm and all the money collected will go to Cystinosis UK.
The charity supports a rare genetic condition that attacks the affected person’s body slowly and progressively. Cystinosis results in a toxic amino acid named cystine, a form of destructive crystal, to build up within the affected person’s body’s cells that eventually leads to the destruction of the kidneys, eyes, muscles, and the body’s endocrine system. A large number of people diagnosed with cystinosis will need to receive a kidney transplant before the age of 18. There currently is no cure for cystinosis.
Close to 2,000 people around the world are currently living with the disease; in the United Kingdom, two to three people are diagnosed with cystinosis per year. Due to cystinosis’ rarity, many people and their families receive a diagnosis without any prior knowledge of what the condition is and the full extent of what it means for them and their future. Cystinosis UK continues to change that through assisting and supporting affected people and families and through financing medical research surrounding cystinosis that may result in the production of a possible treatment.
The football game on the 24th of May is an attempt to bring the aforementioned issues to light through explaining the cause in front of a larger audience through community sport.
Chester Fans Football Club’s players consist of a group of Chester FC supporters, a fan-owned club. The club represents a type of local support and loyalty that has helped support Chester FC for decades.
Chester Man V Fat Football Club is a branch of Man V Fat Football, a national organisation that uses football matches as a way to help overweight and obese men lose weight, improve their overall fitness level, and help their mental health. Players part of Man V Fat Football Club help each other on and off the pitch with their respective weight loss and mental health goals.
Tickets to the fixture at the Essity Stadium in Flint cost £2.50 and everyone is welcome. A raffle will also take place on the day, prizes have been donated and include free tickets to Chester Zoo, football coaching lessons, and much more.
For any more information on cystinosis or what exactly Cystinosis UK does, please visit their website at cystinosis.org.uk.
